Bethlehem University

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bethlehem University
logo
motto Indivisa Manent
(Latin for "remaining undivided" or "standing together")
founding 1973
Sponsorship Catholic Church
place Bethlehem , West Bank
Chancellor Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli
Rector: Brother Peter Bray
Students 3,308 (fall 2017)
Employee approx. 420 (autumn 2016)
Networks FIUC , IAU
Website bethlehem.edu (German)

The Bethlehem University ( in Arabic جامعة بيت لحم, DMG Ǧāmiʿa Bait Laḥm ; English Bethlehem University , BU) is a university sponsored by the Catholic Church based in Bethlehem in the West Bank , Palestine.

history

1964-1973

Bethlehem University opened in October 1973, making it the oldest university in the West Bank . When in 1964 Pope Paul VI. came to Palestine on his holy land trip , the people expressed the need for a university in their homeland. Because of the Six Day War and the ensuing occupation of the West Bank, it took another nine years before the first 112 students were able to enter the campus. The leadership of the university was entrusted to the Holy See , represented by the Congregation for the Oriental Churches , to the De La Salle Christian School Brothers , who still lead the university today. Br. Joseph Loewenstein , FSC, was appointed president of the BU in 1975 after Br. Joseph Neary had to resign.

1978-2011

  • In order to meet the demands of the growing number of students, the university was expanded: the library (1978), the extension of the natural science faculty (1980), the building with auditorium and cafeteria (1990), the institute for community partnership / ICP (1991) , the “Bethlehem Hall” of the Faculties of Nursing and Education (1995), the Turathuna: Center for Palestinian Cultural Heritage (2000) and finally the “Millennium Hall” of the Faculties of Humanities and Business Administration (2002). In addition, a new building for the Faculty of Education was opened in 2011.
  • Bethlehem University became one of the founding members of the Palestinian Council for Academic Education in 1978 and now cooperates with the Ministry of Education and Universities.
  • In May 1981 Bethlehem University became a member of the Association of Arab Universities. In addition, Bethlehem University is a member of the International Federation of Catholic Universities , the Lasallian Association of Colleges and Universities, and the International Union of Universities.
  • The university has been closed twelve times on the orders of the Israeli military; the longest closure took place from October 1987 to October 1990 . Nevertheless, courses were held throughout and outside the campus.

Since 2013

  • 2013: Bethlehem University celebrated its 40th anniversary.
  • around 2018: The Brother Vincent Malham Center (BVMC) opens the German-Palestinian Institute under the direction of the linguist Moïn Halloun .

organization

The University has been run by the Brothers of the De La Salle Order since it was founded.

The BU is supported by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and other academic, administrative and donation-collecting organizations. One of the most important administrative decision-makers is the "International Board of Regents (BU-IBR)", which meets twice a year for a board meeting with three committees: an academic, a finance and a development committee. The IBR consists of representatives of the university's founders, university representatives and managers of international corporations who support the university from the USA, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, Italy and England. Others are representatives of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, which covers the bulk of the financial budget.

facts and figures

At the beginning of the 2017/2018 academic year, 3,308 students were enrolled, 77.2% of them women. There are several reasons for this high percentage of female students:

  • the subjects offered at Bethlehem University are more likely to be attended by women
  • It is easier for men to get permission from their families to study abroad
  • many young men start working right after leaving school to support their families
  • there are more men in Israeli prisons than women

Although the university is Catholic, there are 76% Muslims and only 24% Christians . This number is comparatively high with less than 1% Christians in all of Palestine. The interreligious dialogue as well as the peaceful coexistence of the religions are among the core points of the mission of the BU. The majority of the students come from the eastern parts of Jerusalem (46.2%) or the Bethlehem region (44.3%). Another 7.7% come to the university from Hebron . By August 2017, 17,197 students had graduated from the BU.

With a total of over 420 employees (approx. 50% teaching staff), Bethlehem University is the largest employer in the region. Bethlehem University offers 21 Bachelor's and four Master's degrees.

In contrast to many other universities, the BU is dependent on donations to finance ongoing operations. This comes from the discrepancy between the actual study costs and the fees for the students, which are adjusted to the economic strength of the family. In the 2017/2018 academic year, the share of donations in the budget was 48% and thus made up the largest part of the funds. If you add expansion projects, the university is about 65% dependent on donors.

Faculties

  • Faculty of Humanities (23.1%)
  • Faculty of Business Administration (18.6%)
  • Faculty of Science (12.9%)
  • Faculty of Education (23.1%)
  • Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences with a branch in El Qubeibeh ("Emmaus") ( West Bank ) (15.7%)
  • Institute for Hotel Management and Tourism (6.1%)

Visitor groups

The BU sees it as part of its mission to present the reality of life in the occupation, especially of young Palestinians, to the outside world. For this purpose the "Office for External Communication and Relationships" exists, through which pilgrims, students and tourist groups as well as interested parties of all kinds are welcomed to the university. In the context of a discussion with students of the university as well as a tour, an insight into the everyday life of young people is provided. It should also be shown that, contrary to the prevailing reporting, there are many young, educated and liberal Palestinians.

Partner organizations

Funding institutions

University partnerships

Web links

Commons : Bethlehem University  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Members. In: www.fiuc.org. International Federation of Catholic Universities, accessed September 24, 2019 .
  2. ^ List of IAU Members. In: iau-aiu.net. International Association of Universities, accessed August 11, 2019 .
  3. ^ History - Bethlehem University. Retrieved June 1, 2017 .
  4. ^ German-Palestinian Institute , homepage, accessed on July 4, 2019.
  5. ↑ Important meeting of the IBR of the University of Bethlehem. Retrieved November 1, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Facts and Figures - Bethlehem University. Retrieved October 31, 2018 .
  7. ^ Institutional Research Unit - Bethlehem University. Retrieved June 1, 2017 .
  8. ^ Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Qubeibeh Nursing Program - Bethlehem University. Accessed January 30, 2018 .
  9. ↑ EN-Visit BU2015-01-21 - Bethlehem University. Accessed June 2, 2017 .
  10. ^ Website Association Bethlehem University (ABU) , accessed September 26, 2017
  11. ^ University of Bethlehem , accessed September 26, 2017
  12. ↑ University partnership with the University of Bethlehem , KatHO, accessed on September 26, 2017
  13. ^ Cooperation project between the Institutes for Theology / Religious Education at the Universities of Oldenburg and Bethlehem and the Dar Al Kalima College Bethlehem , University of Oldenburg, accessed on September 26, 2017

Coordinates: 31 ° 42 ′ 37.9 ″  N , 35 ° 12 ′ 5.3 ″  E